News

Funding, publications, people, and professional leadership.

Selected updates highlight research funding, publications, technology development, student achievements, and professional service.

Transmission lines and digital grid analytics
2026

DOE funds dynamic line rating and digital twin project

The project will demonstrate direct and indirect contact DLR technologies to increase transmission capacity, reduce congestion, improve data analytics and cybersecurity, and support renewable integration.

Power-system protection and smart breaker technologies
2026

BreakerWise advances through the MSU MTRAC program

The project supports AI model enhancement, prototype development, and detailed hardware and software design for a secure smart breaker and energy-management platform.

Journal papers and technical publications
2026

New publications address cloud control, resilience assessment, and inverter reliability

Recent journal publications include work in IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, and the International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems.

Real-time digital simulation platform
2024–2027

NSF MRI supports an interactive real-time simulation platform at MSU

The project is establishing a cyber-physical energy systems testbed for research, education, workforce training, cybersecurity, and resilient communications.

Resilient power grid under severe conditions
2024–2026

NSF CAREER project continues to expand resilience research

The CAREER project advances models, metrics, and evaluation methods for reliability and resilience of cyber-physical energy systems under failures, attacks, and cascading events.

Distributed energy resources and storage supporting the grid
2020–2025

Solar and storage research supports grid services and demand response

The DOE-supported project on excess solar and storage capacity developed methods for coordinating behind-the-meter and utility-scale resources for voltage support, frequency regulation, phase balancing, and demand response.

Professional leadership in power-system resilience and reliability
2024–Present

Professional leadership in power-system reliability and resilience

Dr. Ben-Idris serves as Chair of the IEEE Reliability, Risk, and Probability Applications Subcommittee and Chair of the IEEE Task Force on Power System Resilience Metrics and Evaluation Methods.